


If People Were Apples (I'd Pick You First)

by shiptoomuch



Series: 30 McKirk AUs [5]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, M/M, absolute saccharine goo, apple orchard, omg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-19
Updated: 2013-11-19
Packaged: 2018-01-02 01:23:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1050857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shiptoomuch/pseuds/shiptoomuch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based off a prompt from thefabuloustonystark which I cheated on and didn't fulfill perfectly...sorry.</p><p>Joanna starts squealing at the mention of her favorite orchard employee. She tugs Leonard’s hand and drags him down the rows and rows and rows of apple trees that she so often visits. “Come on, Daddy! Jim is prolly waitin’ for us because I promised him that we would come and visit him today and he’ll be really really sad if we don’t come quick!”</p><p> </p><p>Jim works in Joanna's favorite apple orchard.</p>
            </blockquote>





	If People Were Apples (I'd Pick You First)

**Author's Note:**

> IM SO SORRY REAGAN I PROMISE I WILL GIVE YOU HIGH SCHOOL JIM IN THE NEXT ONE SHOT SO SORRY.

"Velcome to Enterprise Orchards!" A kid with bouncy curls and a bouncy attitude greets Joanna and Leonard as they walk past him. He carries a basket of apples that looks to be about as heavy as he is without breaking a sweat. Leonard gives a half wave and pulls his daughter along.

“Hello, Pavel. How are you?” 

Pavel grins and scurries off with a “Jim’s down row thirteen if you need him!” He laughs to himself.

Joanna starts squealing at the mention of her favorite orchard employee. She tugs Leonard’s hand and drags him down the rows and rows and rows of apple trees that she so often visits. “Come on, Daddy! Jim is prolly waitin’ for us because I promised him that we would come and visit him today and he’ll be really really sad if we don’t come quick!” Joanna lisps out her sentence with an extreme excitement. She suddenly gasps and stops in her tracks. “Daddy! What if Jim cries?”

Right on cue, sniffles start coming from the next row over. Leonard rolls his eyes at the infantile actions of Joanna’s best friend at the moment. “Jim! Jim we’re here! Stop crying!” Joanna shrieks and sprints over to row thirteen. She turns back to Leonard. “Come on, Dad!” 

Leonard follows her with fake worry and picks her up and throws her over his shoulder before turning into the row from which fake crying is emanating. “Oh, Joanna, it seems serious.” He speaks gravely and winks at Jim, who returns the gesture.

Leonard sets Joanna on the ground and she immediately runs over to Jim. He has his face buried in his hands now and sniffles miserably. Leonard stifles a laugh behind a cough. Joanna pulls on Jim’s scarf and gets him to crouch down to her level. The seven year old pats his hands away from his face and puts her tiny hand on his forehead. “Oh no! Daddy, I think he’s sick!”

Jim nods and whimpers. 

“Why are you sick, Jim?” Joanna sounds close to tears as she wraps her arms around his neck. “Daddy says I shouldn’t hug sick people but you’re special, aren’t you?”

Leonard actually laughs out loud at Jim’s responding pathetic whimper. “Sorry, dear.” He withers under Joanna’s harsh glare. “Is Jim really sick?”

Jim looks up at him with wide blue eyes. “Yes, Bones, I fear I’m dying from missing you two so very much.” He coughs into his hand. “I need to see a doctor immediately but I can’t because I’m at work.”

Joanna runs up to Leonard and grabs his hand. She pulls him to Jim and nearly knocks over everyone involved. “Daddy’s a doctor! You know that, Jim! Help him, Dad.” Joanna commands her father with far too much authority for a seven year old.

Leonard crouches down. “Alright. What seems to be the problem?”

“I was just so lonely without my two favorite people and now I’m terribly ill, Doctor.” Jim grasps Leonard’s hand tightly and Leonard tries to force down the butterflies (pterodactyls) in his stomach at the contact. Jim’s eyes sparkle especially blue in the Autumn sunshine. “Tell me, is it fatal? I’m too young to die!”

Leonard takes on a grave tone and looks Jim seriously in the eye. He spares a glance over to Joanna, who looks very scared indeed. “I’m afraid there’s only one cure. You have to play hide and seek with someone very special.”

Jim nods gravely and stands up before walking over to Joanna. “Well, I’m afraid that I have to follow the doctor’s orders. Do you want to be it?”

Joanna thinks on this for a moment, eyebrows stitching together in a way that looks a lot like her father. “No. I’ll hide and you and Daddy will both be it. You should be under medical supervision, anyway.” She dashes off through the trees and soon disappears.

Leonard remembers the first time they played hide and seek in the orchard. He was scared out of his mind that she might get lost. But then Jim showed him all the cameras and she was easily found. “Hey, Bones?”

“Yeah?” Leonard looks over to Jim, who seems suddenly shy. 

“I’m really glad you’re here.”

Leonard looks over at Jim and wonders what on earth the kid’s talking about. “I come here nearly every weekend, Jim. Why are you suddenly so glad?”

Jim scuffs his foot in the dirt and starts drawing pictures with his toe. “I don’t know...not a lot of people stay for this long or care that much. I’m just really glad I have you.”

Leonard stares at Jim, unsure of how to respond to this admission. Since the first time they visited the orchard a month and a half ago, he and Jim had become good friends. He knew that Jim had a hard childhood and he had no trouble telling Leonard about most of it but he almost never made confessions about feelings. “Thanks Jim. Thank you for being so great to Joanna.”

Jim grins and claps Leonard on the shoulder. “Come on, Joanna is such a great kid! It’s no problem, really.”

“Yeah, when it’s not the season anymore, I don’t know what I’m going to do with her. Or myself, for that matter.” Leonard admits with a shrug. “What can I say? We’ve become sort of attached to-” He stops himself from saying ‘you’ and instead opts for, “this orchard. It’s got a really great atmosphere and the workers are pretty great, too.”

Jim grins and it’s obvious that he understood what Leonard actually meant to say. “Yeah, the orchard’s going to miss you over the winter. But I’m sure you’ll still be able to arrange something even though it won’t be in operation. Like coffee or something.”

“Well, Jo’s a little young for coffee, but I can think of at least one person who’d enjoy that.”

Jim looks around and checks his watch. “Speaking of Joanna, how long do you think we have until she gets impatient and starts yelling at us?”

Leonard raises an eyebrow and laughs awkwardly. “I don’t know, five minutes? Why?”

“Because I’ve been meaning to do this for a long time.” Jim steps forward and wraps his arms around Leonard’s neck and kisses him fiercely. Leonard freezes for a split second before relaxing and placing his hands firmly on Jim’s hips and returning the kiss enthusiastically. They stay together until they both gasp for breath and Jim puts his forehead against Leonard’s.

“You never shut up and you didn’t think to tell me that with words? Not that I’m complaining but a little warning would be good.” Leonard grins at Jim, who blushes and pecks him on the lips once more in lieu of an answer.

“EEW!” The two men jump apart and look over to see Joanna with her arms crossed and a deep frown on her face. “Come on! You guys didn’t even move! You lose at hide and seek. I’m going to go get donuts and apple cider from Mr. Pike because he’s not gross like you two.” She marches off in the direction of the lodge where Pike has his office and a small sitting area for guests. Leonard and Jim laugh hysterically at the angry little girl before setting off to follow her at a safe distance.

When Jim reaches out and takes Leonard’s hand, he realizes he probably won’t need cider to warm himself up.

**Author's Note:**

> feedback appreciated!  
> tumblr: fabtrek


End file.
